5 NFL players who will probably still be traded this offseason

1. Jamal Adams, S, New York Jets

The Jets may or may not be shopping Adams, and the formality of picking up his fifth-year option for 2021 has been done. He’s in line to become the NFL’s highest-paid safety in his next deal, and he’s well worth it at 24 years old and as one of the league’s best at the position.

But the Jets don’t seem to be approaching contract talks with Adams with much urgency, for some reason. His decision to skip the team’s virtual offseason program, for whatever that’s actually worth, is a sign he’s not happy with his situation.

For the next two years, Adams is a steal relative to his talent. He’s due to make $3.5 million in guaranteed salary this year, and as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported the 2021 option will be worth $9.86 million. If anything, that cost certainty could ignite a bit of a trade market. In terms of average annual value, Chicago Bears’ safety Eddie Jackson is the top of the market at $14.6 million per year.

The odds Adams will be traded have diminished, with teams now unable to part with a first-round pick this year. But the longer he goes without a new deal from the Jets, the more the door will still be open for him to be moved. He could even make a demand in lieu of lingering without a new deal, publicly or behind the scenes, to push for a resolution.